THE SPORT COLLECTION COMES TO LIFE IN PAINTINGS BY ACCLAIMED TORONTO ARTIST MARK STODDART
Toronto (October 2008) - Inspired by one of the world’s most significant archives of 20th century sports photography, acclaimed local artist Mark Stoddart has joined with
The Sport Gallery to create a ground-breaking series of paintings that pay homage to several icons of sport.
The first paintings in this stunning collection of acrylic on canvas will be unveiled by
The Sport Gallery in Toronto’s Historic Distillery District, on October 22, 2008 at the launch of
Homage: Celebrating The Journey, an exhibition sponsored by Converse and the Sheridan College Alumni Association.
The paintings reflect Stoddart’s commitment to honour the passion, struggle and accomplishments of black entertainers and athletes.
Homage is part of Stoddart’s 40@40 collection, which includes music icons such as Dizzy Gillespie and Jimi Hendrix.
Homage will eventually comprise more than 20 paintings of legendary athletes and will open with seven portraits, with the subjects to include NFL superstar Jim Brown, baseball legends Fergie Jenkins and Satchel Paige, Olympic gold medallist Tommie Smith, and basketball hall of famers Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell.
"My paintings depict the stories of iconic black athletes who broke colour barriers and came to stand as symbols of American and Canadian culture," Stoddart said. "The history of the black athlete in sports in many ways mirrors the social history of blacks in North America."
Stoddart was inspired to paint the
Homage series after visiting
The Sport Gallery and becoming captivated by the vivid colour photography included in the widely acclaimed SPORT Collection.
"We’re delighted to be able to work with Mark on this project," said Jim O’Leary of
The Sport Gallery. "He doesn’t just look at a photo and recreate that image on canvass -- he adds new layers of interest and complexity to each one so that, by the end, if the original picture tells a thousand words, Mark’s painting tells a thousand more."
Homage: Celebrating The Journey will be on display at The SPORT Gallery (Building 5, Suite 240) in The Historic Distillery District at 55 Mill St. The exhibit will launch with a special showing from 6 to 8 p.m. on October 22, and will be open thereafter Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m., until November 26.
About Mark Stoddart
Mark Stoddart’s work has been exhibited at several galleries and private events around Toronto in recent years and his portfolio of paintings of Jazz icons received widespread acclaim. After graduating from Sheridan College, he enjoyed a successful career as a graphic designer but returned to his true calling, painting, after the death of a close friend. His artwork combines a passion for music and sports with a spirit of social activism and a commitment to "educate, empower and unite."
About The SPORT Gallery
The SPORT Gallery, North America’s only gallery devoted entirely to sport, is the exclusive representative of one of the world’s largest and most significant collections of 20th century sports photography. In addition to maintaining a large selection of framed prints on permanent display,
The SPORT Gallery comprises more than 200,000 images from the historic archive of
SPORT magazine, as well as contributions from other prominent collections. Selections from
The SPORT Gallery have been featured in venues as varied as the Museum of the City of New York, Art Expo in New York, Nationals Park (home of the Washington Nationals), The Chuck Jones Gallery in Los Angeles, as well as in documentaries produced by ESPN, A&E Biography, HBO, NBA Entertainment and NFL Films.
